- Joined
- Oct 16, 2012
- Messages
- 18,297
- Reaction score
- 9,650
- Location
- Fareham, Hampshire UK
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- 6
Fake News Beeno ...I am not asking you to and as well as my own safety I don't approve of gassing the bees with oxalic and formic at regular 5 day intervals for up to 12 times or in the honey season as oxalic acid dissolves in honey and can lead to kidney failure if ingested in quantities.
a) You are not 'Gassing' anything - the OA sublimates as an ultra fine powder which only kills the varroa.
b) Formic acid does not form with any proprietary sublimator
c) You would not do it when there are supers on the hives
d) Nobody would normally treat them 12 times - three times at 5 day intervals will get 90% of the mites through the brood cycles
e) How would the OA get dissolved in honey when done by sublimation any more than it would with your chosen method of trickling
f) I see little or no concern from the bees when they are treated with OA by sublimation and yet your bees - opened up, frames taken out and then drenched in OA dissolved in sugar syrup ends up with you getting stung and the bees clearly hating what you did to them.
g) Personal safety is easily taken care of with a full face mask with appropriate filters - the chances of ingesting it are remote if you follow the guidance.
I don't mind if you don't like and don't want to use OA by sublimation - feel free to keep going with your antiquated and disruptive method ... but let's stick to the facts and not spread rubbish about.